The machines are learning. And they are thirsty. Somewhere in the Arizona desert, a data center hums with the low-frequency drone of a billion transistors firing in lockstep. The sound is the heartbeat of the artificial intelligence revolution — a revolution that promises to remake everything from the way we work to the way weContinue reading “The Digital Deluge: Artificial intelligence’s hidden cost in water, watts, and carbon”
Category Archives: New Jersey News
Controversial NJ judge now overseeing immigration cases in Elizabeth
by Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor A New Jersey judge recently criticized for his unsympathetic comments to a woman who claimed she had been raped is now deciding immigration cases for migrants held in detention, including victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The news has attorneys for some migrants facing deportation concerned that theContinue reading “Controversial NJ judge now overseeing immigration cases in Elizabeth”
Two-tiered justice in the Garden State: Sherrill suspends her own law to save political pals
In a move that perfectly encapsulates the rot in Trenton, Governor Rebecca “Mikie” Sherrill’s administration has quietly announced that it will suspend enforcement of a data privacy law that her office rushed through the Legislature just ten days ago. Why the sudden change of heart? Because the “unintended consequences” of the law suddenly became veryContinue reading “Two-tiered justice in the Garden State: Sherrill suspends her own law to save political pals”
Public worker health plans poised for another year of premium hikes
by Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor Premiums under New Jersey’s public worker health plans should rise by double digits, with current and former local government workers again poised to face the steepest increases, state officials learned Wednesday. Premiums for local government workers should increase by 17.3%, with a 15.1% increase for their counterparts in stateContinue reading “Public worker health plans poised for another year of premium hikes”
Denville Republican jailed after 100 homemade explosive devices seized from
A Denville man remained jailed Thursday after authorities seized more than 100 containers of homemade explosive material from his residence, prompting evacuations and a multijurisdictional investigation that prosecutors said carries “national significance.” Joseph Rizos, 37, a registered Republican voter from Avondale Road, was arrested June 24 following a motor vehicle stop and the execution ofContinue reading “Denville Republican jailed after 100 homemade explosive devices seized from”
Civil rights group is suing Autumn Ridge Apartments for violating discrimination law
A Latino civil rights group is suing a Pennsylvania-based property management company for denying two residents of Camden County, New Jersey, access to rental units based solely on their immigration status and other protected traits. It is the second time the group has sued the company. MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) andContinue reading “Civil rights group is suing Autumn Ridge Apartments for violating discrimination law”
Beloved Blairstown residents found unconscious, victims of a fiery conflagration
The quiet, wooded hills of Blairstown were painted with the hellish glow of an inferno in the earliest hours of Tuesday morning, a blaze that consumed not just a home on Mohican Road, but a towering legacy of American grit, art, and community. The news strikes like a physical blow to the gut, a savageContinue reading “Beloved Blairstown residents found unconscious, victims of a fiery conflagration “
Man charged with ramming car into ICE agent in New Jersey
A 39-year-old Barnegat Township man was charged with assaulting an officer after he allegedly rammed his van into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in New Jersey earlier this week, according to prosecutors. Eduardo Cruz Garcia was charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer while the officer was engaged in official dutiesContinue reading “Man charged with ramming car into ICE agent in New Jersey”
For 91 minutes in August, New Jersey will view a partial solar eclipse
On the afternoon of Aug. 12, 2026, the moon will drift in front of the sun. It will not block it entirely, here in New Jersey. But for about an hour and a half, a small, dark bite will appear to take a nibble out of the sun’s upper edge. And you are invited toContinue reading “For 91 minutes in August, New Jersey will view a partial solar eclipse”
Last World War II veteran returns to Battleship New Jersey after 80 years
Nearly eight decades after serving aboard the Battleship New Jersey during World War II, 101-year-old veteran Paul Robbins returned Monday to the vessel where he spent some of the most formative years of his life. Robbins, believed to be the last surviving World War II sailor who served aboard the historic battleship, traveled from hisContinue reading “Last World War II veteran returns to Battleship New Jersey after 80 years”
NJ judge who threatened to deport truant students should be removed, panel says
by Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor A judicial ethics panel has recommended the removal of a New Jersey municipal court judge who threatened truant students with deportation. In a split opinion, a majority of the state Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct agreed that Britt J. Simon should be booted from the bench for bullying threeContinue reading “NJ judge who threatened to deport truant students should be removed, panel says”
Jersey City yanks $265 million from bank that finances private prison companies
Jersey City is pulling $265 million in public funds from Citizens Bank because the bank finances the nation’s two largest private prison companies. City officials announced the divestment on Thursday. They said $150 million has already been withdrawn. The rest is coming out in days. “We are not waiting around,” said Councilmember Jake Ephros. TheContinue reading “Jersey City yanks $265 million from bank that finances private prison companies”
New Jersey Supreme Court closes a gaping loophole in the state’s open records law
Public officials cannot hide discussions of public business in private email accounts, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday. The decision closes a major loophole in the state’s open records law. It means the secret back-channel conversations conducted on personal phones and private servers are no longer beyond the reach of the public. TheContinue reading “New Jersey Supreme Court closes a gaping loophole in the state’s open records law”
NJ Assembly panel advances bill aimed at nuclear power expansion
by Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor A legislative panel approved legislation Thursday that would direct the state’s energy regulators to begin soliciting bids for new nuclear power plants in the state. The Assembly’s utilities committee approved the legislation in a unanimous vote despite concerns from some that it would saddle ratepayers with further cost increasesContinue reading “NJ Assembly panel advances bill aimed at nuclear power expansion”
Gov. Sherrill implements protest zones to ‘cool things down’ at Newark detention center
by Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor After a week of escalating clashes between federal immigration agents and protesters outside a Newark detention facility, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Friday that New Jersey State Police would take over the area outside of Delaney Hall and establish protected protest zones in an effort to “cool things down” andContinue reading “Gov. Sherrill implements protest zones to ‘cool things down’ at Newark detention center”
PAC wants voters to choose Dr. Tina Shah to pull the plug on Medicare
Let’s get one thing straight right off the top: the American Medical Association’s political arm, AMPAC, is spending your money like a riverboat gambler with a stolen wallet. And tonight, that money is flowing straight into the Democratic primary campaign of Dr. Tina Shah. That’s the same organization, friends and neighbors, that fought the veryContinue reading “PAC wants voters to choose Dr. Tina Shah to pull the plug on Medicare”
Seton Hall University renews secrecy bid in priest abuse cases
by Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor Seton Hall University doubled down Thursday on its yearslong battle to keep secret a 2019 report on how the school handled a priest’s sex abuse of seminarians, asking a state appellate panel to reverse a lower court’s order to disclose the report and related records. Patrick Papalia, an attorneyContinue reading “Seton Hall University renews secrecy bid in priest abuse cases”
Three people were arrested in operating an auto theft trafficking ring
Three people are accused of turning stolen trucks and passenger vehicles into inventory for a criminal marketplace that operated with the cold efficiency of a small business and the moral discipline of a pickpocket. Prosecutors say the operation moved stolen vehicles through storage lots, residences and commercial properties across New Jersey, scrubbing identities from enginesContinue reading “Three people were arrested in operating an auto theft trafficking ring”
America needs & deserves representatives with the courage to show up
Two months. Sixty-eight votes. A nation on fire—war, inflation, a justice system in collapse—and where is Congressman Tom Kean Jr.? No one knows. But we know he isn’t working. We know he’s been active, however—trading stocks while his constituents twist in the wind. And the only thing more pathetic than his absence is his contemptContinue reading “America needs & deserves representatives with the courage to show up”
The wrong résumé for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District
There is a particular kind of political candidate who arrives at the door of a progressive district carrying credentials so misaligned with the job description that the sheer audacity of the application functions as its own argument against it. Rebecca Bennett is that candidate, assembled from components that would make perfect sense in a differentContinue reading “The wrong résumé for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District”
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